Jungle Heat (Coroico, Bolivia)

Our first free weekend. The group decided to have a getaway somewhere to relax and let go. We wanted somewhere away from the dust and pollution of La Paz. We wanted greenery and water. We wanted Coroico.

We all chipped our pennies together for a bus, which launched us out of the pit of La Paz and towards the lush green jungle hills of Coroico.

The journey introduced us to some of the amazing landscapes of Bolivia, much unlike La Paz: vast ranges of grey mountains, sandy plains and misty lakes.

As we drew closer to the green hills, we knew we were close.

We put on some tunes, opened some beers, and had a bus dance-along. Party-time!

As we turned a corner, the town of Coroico came into view, perched atop a lush, green hillside.

We unpacked into our hostel and headed straight out for lunch. We headed up to the main square of Coroico, which was heaving with residents, tourists, circus acts and jewellery sellers.

We ate some dreadful food at one of the restaurants on the square, then enjoyed the sunshine and tropical heat with some ice lollies.

We took a bus around one of the mountains to visit the natural waterfalls.

There was icy fresh water falling from hundreds of meters high. It was the best shower we ever had.

Me and Florencia took off our bathing suits and enjoyed the freshness of nature's tonic against our rude parts.

That night was the annual Coroico Culture festival. There were lots of traditional folk bands, live music and the turnout was huge. We did a lot of predrinking at our hostel before we stumbled up to the square, tanked up on rum and Coca-Cola. We stood in the crowd and enjoyed some of the live folk bands.

Next thing I new, my friend Ellie grabbed my arm and whisked me into the middle of the square, in view of all the spectators. We started to dance, arm in arm, doing a really shit, made-up version of salsa. We spun around, the audience cheered, and my flip flops kept falling off.

Next thing, two more people started dancing with us. Then a few more. Then even more. After about 20 minutes, the square was filled entirely with people from the audience, dancing with total strangers, hip-to-hip and having a great time.

The party went on until 5am.

The next day, we all woke up pretty rough. We didn't really enjoy the freezing cold shower, and most of us didn't pack a towel so had to dry ourselves with our clothes from the night before. We all gathered for breakfast on the balcony, at which we stuffed our faces with baguettes, dulce de leche, yoghurt and cookies.

Some of the group decided to go zip-lining, but for the ones who were feeling pretty fragile from the last night's partying, we went out for a protein-packed lunch and then relaxed around the pool and the fruit trees.

I'm not normally a pool person, but a lazy day was just what the doctor ordered.

We played volleyball, sunbathed, and picked some fruit. It was a paradise. There were dragonflies skimming the pool and colourful birds soaring between the trees.

In fitting with the Garden of Eden vibe of the place, some of us swiped off our swimsuits and enjoyed the natural beauty of the garden - Adam and Eve style!

That was enough play-time for one weekend. That afternoon we took a bus back to La Paz, feeling partied-out but equally refreshed and recharged.